1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to selecting both a media and a page size for a print job in a printing system. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for selecting a media, a page size, and/or a color profile using unique combinations or identifiers that are associated with the media, page size, and/or color profile.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Printing is becoming an increasingly difficult and complex experience for many users who are unfamiliar with the printing process. The printing process is much more than simply sending a print job to a printer. Properly printing a print job requires an understanding of media, page sizes, color profiles, etc. Media, for instance, comes in a number of types and page sizes. Inks and color profiles are often selected according to the media and the quality of a particular print job often depends on whether the user selects the appropriate ink and/or color profile for a particular media. The printing process becomes even more complex when a user must also select a printer.
Because users are often unfamiliar with the printing process, it is difficult for users to select the proper combination of media and page size for their print jobs. Users are typically even more unfamiliar with selecting color profile and ink combinations. As a direct consequence of the selection (media, page size, color profile, and/or printer) made by a user, the print job may print incorrectly by being, for instance, off of the selected page, off centered, and the like. In addition, much of the media may be wasted or rendered unusable when an incorrect media/page size selection is made by a user. Thus, typical users have difficulty in selecting the appropriate media/page size and in optimizing a printer for the selected media and page size.
There are many situations where there is a need to print on a particular media using a particular page size. Vendors, for example, often place posters in businesses where their products are sold. These posters are usually designed for a particular type of media and for a particular page size. The vendors, however, are often asked to print the posters that are displayed in the businesses where their products are sold. The posters are printed incorrectly or with sub par coloring when vendors do not select the appropriate media/page size or properly configure the printer for the posters.
Another problem relates to media that comes pre-mounted. If an incorrect page size is selected for the pre-mounted media, then much of the pre-mounted media is wasted. Photo studios, for example, often receive requests by users to enlarge an image. If the equipment operator does not understand the impact of selecting the proper media and page size, it is likely that the printed image will be of poor quality and on the wrong media and/or page size.
Some types of media require that a certain color profile be used, a certain amount of ink be placed on the media, or that the printer be configured a particular way. If too much ink is placed in the media, the colors, and consequently the image, may not be clear. Even worse, the ink may actually run and ruin the image. Conversely, an insufficient amount of ink results in an unsatisfactory image as well. In essence, users often fail to understand the relationships that exist between media, page sizes, color profiles, and printers. Users also fail to understand how a color profile may change from one media to the next. Thus, users are often unsure about the media and/or page size that they have selected for their print jobs.
Another problem with media selection is seen from the perspective of an entity that provides media and printing services to users including other businesses. These entities would like to ensure that users continue using their services and purchasing their products. Entities currently do not have the ability to lock their printing systems in a sense that the entity controls the media and page size that is available to the user along with the ability to prevent other entities from using their printing systems. In other words, entities are unable to prevent their printing services and systems from being used with media supplied by a different entity.
These and other limitations are overcome by the present invention which relates to selecting a media and a page size of the media in a printing system. The present invention further relates to systems and methods for selecting a media/page size/color profile using combinations or identifiers that are related to particular media/page size pairs or groups.
In a printing system, several different media/page size pairs are available. The media/page size pairs are identified and provided to a coding entity. The coding entity generates a combination or identifier for each media/page size pair and provides the resulting combinations to the submitting entity. Typically, the submitting entity is unable to create new combinations for new media/page size pairs because the combination is encrypted, hashed or otherwise coded by the coding entity. New media/page size pairs are submitted to the coding entity which generates a combination or identifier for the new media/page size pair. Each media/page size pair is labeled or associated with the corresponding combination provided by the coding entity.
As previously stated, a user that desires to print a print job in a printing system is required to identify a particular media and the appropriate page size. In accordance with the present invention, each media type/page size pair has an associated combination or identifier. By selecting or identifying a particular combination, a user is able to select the appropriate media and page size without being aware of the specific media type or the specific page size that was actually selected. In one example, this is possible because the media type/page size pair and the combination are visually associated. An example of each media type/page size may be displayed to the user along with the combination to facilitate their selection. Thus, the user can simply view the desired media/page size and select the associated combination or identifier.
After the user selects a combination, the printing system automatically identifies the media and page size associated with the selected combination. The printing system also automatically selects and configures the appropriate printer, thus simplifying the process for the user. In other words, the user is no longer required to configure the system or a printer for a particular media/page size. The appropriate color profile for that combination is usually applied automatically according to the selected media/page size and the user is permitted to print the print job on the printer that has the appropriate media/page size loaded.
The combination or identifier is generated from the various media/page size pairs. In some instances, the combination or identifier incorporates an entity identifier, which has the effect of making those combinations specific to a particular entity or group of entities. This provides an advantage to the entity that supplies media to users, for example, because other entities cannot copy or use the combination that is entity specific. Each printing system may store a list of approved entities. A combination that does not include an approved entity cannot print on the printing system. Also, the combinations cannot be copied because each combination is a hash of a particular media and page size. As a result, the combinations are often dependent on the entity producing or selling the media in addition to the media type and/or page size. When a combination is selected, the media/page size pairs available to the printing system are hashed and compared against the selected combination to identify the appropriate media/page size.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.